


The Terrors of Love (And Our Ghostly Roommate)

by zodiaclino



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Awkward Flirting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friendship, Ghosts, Haunting, Living Together, M/M, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Paranormal, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, changbin looks after him, lots of banter, minbins flat is haunted, minho is scared
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:48:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zodiaclino/pseuds/zodiaclino
Summary: "Minho wasn’t somebody superstitious, he wasn’t prone to any type of hallucinations, and least of all did he believe in the paranormal. Though, as he stared onward, trembling gaze never leaving the image which presented itself in front of him, he suddenly started to consider the existence of ghosts, after all."Or: Minho and Changbin did not account for an additional roommate when they decided to move into an apartment together - least of all one that would try and play matchmaker.
Relationships: Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin
Comments: 22
Kudos: 53
Collections: Stray Kids SpookFest





	The Terrors of Love (And Our Ghostly Roommate)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> First of all, I wanted to apologize to the prompter for this work still being unfinished - but; I will do my best to have the next update ready as soon as possible, and I sincerely hope for this chapter to be satisfactory so far!  
> This is the first multi-chaptered, long fiction I have ever written and I really had so much fun with it. Thank you for submitting such a creative, intriguing prompt!
> 
> This is written for the Prompt Nr. 29.  
> I don't think anything in this story needs a trigger warning, but I will put a CONTENT WARNING for:  
> Ghosts, Paranormal Sightings/Activities, Hauntings
> 
> Please be mindful of the tags as well; if you are sensitive to any of the listed topics, you might want to sit this one out!
> 
> As always, I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors I might have missed while editing!

To say Minho was terrified would be the understatement of the century.

For the longest time, he had excessively made fun of Changbin for all the alleged “paranormal experiences” he has had ever since they had moved into their new apartment, teasing the younger about his paranoia any chance he got – a big mistake, as it turned out only shortly after.

Karma had been quick to get him, Minho mused, as he now found himself standing in the entrance to their little kitchen, the room engulfed in complete darkness, safe for the small sliver of moonlight streaming in through the window above their sink.

An eerie type of feeling had settled deep inside his bones the moment he had stepped out of his room and into the hallway, his objective only being to refill his water bottle before he would turn in for the night. He had tried to squash down the uneasy feeling crawling its way up his spine, reassuring himself that everything was exactly as it should be; Changbin was home, currently resting in his own room down the hallway, and his three cats were most likely lounging around somewhere the living room – there was absolutely no reason for him to be scared.

Or so he had thought.

Now, as he was standing frozen in the doorway to their kitchen, he dared to doubt his earlier assumption quite drastically.

Minho wasn’t somebody superstitious, he wasn’t prone to any type of hallucinations, and least of all did he believe in the paranormal. Though, as he stared onward, trembling gaze never leaving the image which presented itself in front of him, he suddenly started to consider the existence of ghosts, after all.

Only a few meters to his left, in the far corner of their kitchen where their small dining table stood, a chair was pulled out, and, despite the dim lighting of the room – or maybe even because of it – the dancer was able to make out a dark, humanoid shadow seemingly _sitting_ on top of the chair.

Every single hair on his body stood on end, alarm bells going off inside his head, as his gaze was firmly glued to the creature in front of him. Minho didn’t even dare blink.

The first, _logical_ thing to come to his mind was that there must be an intruder in the apartment; a thought which he, thankfully, was immediately able to dismiss again. Every evening, he made sure to double check if their front-door was thoroughly locked, and it would quite literally be impossible to enter through one of their windows, considering that they lived on the eighth floor of their apartment complex. To add to that, his cats would have long alerted them by throwing a massive fit if any stranger had secretly tried to enter their home.

With that possibility off the table, it only really left room for something else, something entirely _otherworldly,_ to be the cause of this – and Minho didn’t like that realization one bit.

The brunet still hadn’t moved from his initial position in the doorframe. It was where he had first spotted the figure, and now he was too petrified to tear his gaze away for even a second, not wanting to risk the chance of the shadow suddenly disappearing, just for it to breathe down his neck the next moment. Tremors were racking through his body, but if those were caused by the fear coursing through his veins or the suddenly freezing temperature in the room, Minho didn’t know. His heart was pounding in his ears, chest rising and falling erratically as he tried to breathe as quietly as humanly possible.

He was desperate not to alert the creature of his presence.

It was too bad that that had most likely already happened, though.

His suspicion was confirmed as, suddenly, the figure in the chair started shifting. The instant feeling of impending doom had an iron-weight dropping in his stomach, a fresh wave of terror rippling through his form. Trembling all over, Minho stared on ahead as the shadow rose, growing taller and taller as it seemed to be getting off the chair and –

_Holy shit, it was about to come towards him!_

Adrenaline finally kicked in, unfreezing Minho from his position in the doorway as his heart frantically pounded against his ribcage. His ears were ringing as he flung out an arm, his body acting solely on instinct now. His palm flew through the air for one petrifying moment before slamming down on the light switch on the wall to his right.

Brightness promptly flooded the room, momentarily blinding Minho, and making him squint his eyes until they were finally adjusted to the light.

His heart was still racing a mile a minute, the steady thrum of it echoing in his ears, but much to his relief, the figure threatening his life was gone. The chair it had been residing on only second ago was now empty, but it still stood pushed out in the same, odd angle.

Another shiver rand down Minho’s spine, suddenly overly aware of the fact that probably neither him nor Changbin had been the ones to place it there.

After taking a shaky lungful of air, he willed his shaking limbs into motion, powerwalking over to the sink to fill up his water bottle as quickly as humanly possible. His hands were trembling still as he rushed to turn off the faucet, screwing the lid back on crookedly but too shaken to fix it. He turned on his heels, scanning his eyes over every single inch of the kitchen one last time while he stepped back towards the door. He was just in the process of mentally preparing himself to switch the light back off, and make a run for his room, when a dreadful thought occurred to him.

Once he reached his room, he would be all alone again. All by himself with the darkness, and with whatever demonic creature had just been contaminating their kitchen area. He would not be getting a single second of rest tonight if he were to try and sleep in his own bed, as much was clear.

So, he did the next most logical thing his frazzled mind could come up with – go and seek out Changbin for help.

☽

Barely a minute later, after he had mussed up enough courage to turn off the lights and run through the living room, and down the hallway in record speed, Minho found himself standing in front of Changbin’s door. Miraculously, he still had enough decency left to know not to storm into another man’s room uninvited, so instead, he decided to just keep knocking on the wood like a man possessed. That was sure to get his friend’s attention.

Minho stopped his banging against the door once he took notice of the shuffling of blankets, shortly followed by heavy footsteps dragging across their creaky floorboards. The noises came to a stop right on the other side of the door just before it was swung open, hinges squeaking irritably in the calm of the night. Revealed was the image of a sleep-mussed Changbin, broad shoulders wrapped in the blanket he had probably been soundly asleep under before Minho had rudely woken him up. _Oops._

“What do you want?”, the younger rasped out, voice low and laced with sleep. Even with his thoughts a mess, the sound of it was still felt just a little too sweet to Minho’s ears.

Pushing those thoughts to the very back of his frazzled mind, – _This was his best friend, god-damnit! Why, for goodness sake, did he have to be so unfairly attractive? –_ Minho shoved himself past the shorter, uncaringly invading his space and stepping into the dimly lit room behind him. “I’m staying here tonight.”, Minho stated.

Confusion was written plainly over Changbin’s handsome features. He turned around slowly, now staring at Minho like he had grown a second head. And maybe he had. He would barely be surprised after whatever it was he had just witnessed.

“Wha-! No? Minho, you can’t just invite yourself in here! This is my room!”. Exasperation bled through the fatigue in Changbin’s voice.

“Yes, I can. And I will.”, Minho confirmed, leaving no room for argument as he went to lay down in Changbin’s bed. He made sure to grab one of the many pillows the younger had laying scattered around there, scooting over to the far end of the wall and settling in. His position left just enough space for his friend lay down opposite him, involuntarily making him act as a human shield between Minho and any evil shadows possibly preying on him from the dark crevices of their apartment.

Changbin sighed in defeat, still very much confused by the elder’s unusual behaviour but deciding not to fight him over it. If he did, it would most likely only mean the loss of his own sanity.

The younger closed the door behind him, shuffling his way over to the bed with the sheets still tightly wrapped around his frame, ungracefully flopping onto the mattress once he was within range. Changbin really was not in any mood to deal with any of Minho’s strange antics right now. All he wanted was few hours of well-deserved rest before classes would force him out of bed again in the morning.

The older seemed to have caught on to his friend’s exhausted state rather quickly, momentarily pushing down the fear still running hot through his veins to reach out, running a soothing hand through Changbin’s soft, black locks. The action had the younger humming in content.

“Rough day?”, Minho asked softly. The fact that Changbin had barely put up a fight when the brunet had unceremoniously interrupted his beauty sleep was pretty much a dead giveaway that he was beyond tired. His suspicions were confirmed as Changbin only nodded where his face was pressed into the mattress, no doubt already falling back asleep. It was hard not to, given how nice Minho’s slim fingers felt where they were lovingly carding through his hair, scratching at his scalp occasionally.

A mild feeling of guilt spread through Minho’s body as he scanned over his friend’s exhausted figure, slumped into the cushions next to him. He wouldn’t have woken up, but it’s not like the brunet had much a choice – he had been _terrified_ , still was, quite frankly. There was simply no way for Minho to be sleeping alone tonight if there was any way to avoid it.

Which, there most definitely was, seeing as Changbin was already halfway back into dreamland next to him anyway. Not like he was going to suddenly come to his senses and kick Minho back out into the hallway.

And the less he questioned him, the better.

As much as he trusted the younger, he wasn’t in any condition to endure the multiple versions of _“I told you so”_ -s, that were sure to be thrown at him the second he mentioned anything even remotely close to having seen a ghost lounging about in their kitchen. That conversation could certainly wait until morning.

Minho reached over the other’s unmoving form, clicking off the little lamp sitting on his bedside table, a silent request for them to just go to sleep.

Darkness engulfed the room, and it was as if a switch had been flipped.

The momentary feeling of ease his little banter with Changbin had brought him vanished into thin air, making way for a renewed feeling of fear to take over his senses. He could feel his body trembling where he was still awkwardly hovering over the younger, too scared to properly look around the room, lest he be greeted with another shadow creature ready to pounce on him. His only comfort item was the pillow he had grabbed off Changbin’s pile earlier. Minho wanted to hide, to bury himself from head to toe in a thick set of blankets and have the protection it granted ease the terror in his mind. Too bad that that was not an option, seeing as Changbin was currently hogging the only duvet in sight.

The brunet shivered as he laid back down next to his friend, heart banging incessantly against his ribcage, his sharp eyes boring into the back of Changbin’s head. Minho didn’t dare to let his gaze wander anywhere else, too scared of what might be lurking in the shadows. Changbin looked to be back into dreamland already, with his face still awkwardly squished into the mattress and his limbs sprawled out around him, unmoving safe for the slow rise and fall of his broad chest.

Apparently, he was still awake enough to notice Minho trembling, though.

The younger must have assumed the low temperature inside his room to be the cause of the dancer’s discomfort, seeing how he promptly unwrapped himself from his cocoon, sluggishly sticking out an arm clutching the fabric, and lifted it into the hair. It was his way of inviting Minho inside.

The older felt like crying, forever grateful for having been blessed with Changbin’s sweet presence. Not like he was ever going to voice said thoughts, though. No, that would be way too embarrassing.

Minho wasted no time in scooting closer, fully moving his shivering body under the elevated blanket the younger was still holding up. It fell down onto the older after a few seconds, landing on him with a quiet _thump_. Changbin let out a low grumble, most likely an attempt to mask the fact that he had been fumbling with the blanket for a little too long, trying to make sure that his friend’s body would properly be covered by the thick fabric.

Minho felt his heart stutter in his chest – this time from something completely other than fear. Somehow, it was no less scary.

Feeling a lot safer now that his body wasn’t exposed to the darkness of the night anymore, the older finally closed his eyes, determined to just forget about what he had witnessed that night and go to sleep. He tried to slow down his breathing, starting to count tiny cartoon sheep hopping around in his head in hopes of eventually feeling drowsy from it.

Much to his dismay, sleep didn’t come, though.

His mind kept drifting back to the scene which had played out in front of him earlier; the big, dark silhouette looming over their kitchen table from where it was seated in the corner, hidden away in the shadows and ready to pounce on him at any given moment. A violent shudder wracked his body as he thought about what could have happened if he had hesitated for longer, if his hand had missed the light switch on the wall, or if the creature had simply been faster.

As he thought about all the different, gruesome ways his previous encounter could have played out, he didn’t even notice the petrified whimper trying to tear itself from his throat – but it was already too late to stop it. It sounded pathetic in his ears, his voice small and laced with unmistakable fear, the noise now echoing throughout their otherwise silent apartment.

Changbin stirred next to him, and Minho wanted the mattress to swallow him whole.

“Minho?”, the younger rasped out. He had turned over, body now facing the brunet and eyes squinting, trying to adjust to the low lighting of the room.

The dancer didn’t reply, small hands clutching at the sheets as he brought them further up his body. Now he was scared _and_ embarrassed. He wanted to disappear.

Changbin seemed to have other plans, though, as he suddenly felt a strong arm wrap itself around his back, pulling him towards the other’s warmth. He let himself be moved, pliant under his friend’s gentle hands, until he found his trembling form nestled comfortably into his Changbin’s side. His head had been placed on a firm chest, one muscled arm snaking around him to securely rest a hand on the elder’s waist.

Minho felt his cheeks heat up at their newfound proximity, praying that maybe the younger wouldn’t be able to notice through the fabric of his sleepshirt. It felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest at any given moment, given the way it was currently hammering against his ribcage.

“Better?”, he vaguely registered Changbin’s sleep-laced voice asking. He had obviously noticed that it hadn’t just the cold bothering him. Despite the lump clogging his throat, Minho felt the need to justify his actions a least a little.

“’m scared.”, was all he managed to get out in the end, cringing at how fragile his voice sounded. _Nice_ _, Minho._

The shaky whisper had apparently been enough to satisfy Changbin’s curiosity, as he merely responded with a hum, his arm tightening around Minho’s back to pull him _even closer._

Suddenly, Minho wasn’t scared of ghosts anymore, his senses flooded with nothing but _Changbin_ – the distinct smell of his shower gel invading his nostrils, the muscles of his arm flexing against his back as he shifted to get comfortable, the slow rise and fall of his chest, and the steady heartbeat resounding from it.

The older felt like losing himself in Changbin’s soothing presence; a thought somehow even more terrifying than any demon ever could be.

“I’ll protect you.”, the shorter man mumbled into the crown of Minho’s head, words slurring together as he was already drifting off to sleep again. The brunet didn’t think his face could possibly grow any redder at this point.

He relaxed against Changbin’s firm body, draping his own arm across the younger’s torso, his hand now dangling off the other side of his chest. All thoughts about ominous shadows in his kitchen were washed from his mind as the warm feeling of content settled deep inside his bones.

He decided not to mull over what this whole situation could mean for him and Changbin.

To the younger, this most likely wasn’t a big deal anyway. Not like it was to Minho, at least.

Before he knew it, the dancer was already drifting off into dreamland, the warm embrace he found himself in, coupled with the steady thrum of his friend’s heartbeat, lulling him into a deep slumber.

☽

Minho woke up feeling disoriented.

The walls of the room he found himself in were covered in too many posters to belong to him, the blanket draped across him felt a lot heavier than his own, and he sure as hell didn’t remember his pillow ever having felt this _hard._

He was in the process or rubbing his face into whatever it was he had been resting his head on – a rather weak attempt at fully waking himself up – when suddenly, all of last night’s happenings came crashing down on him at once.

The brunet’s eyes shot open, trying very hard not to freak out over the fact that him and Changbin had most likely been cuddled together _all night._ He tried to look around the room in search of something to distract him, but his field of vision was mostly obscured by his friend’s strong neck from where he lay nestled into the crook of it. Minho gradually became more aware of the position they were in; he was laying half on top of the other, one of Changbin’s strong arms securely wrapped around his back, while Minho himself had one of his legs tangled in-between the younger’s, his small hand resting on one of Changbin’s broad shoulders.

It was too early for his heart to be beating this quickly, or for his ears to feel this hot, Minho decided, and promptly made up his mind to get up and into the shower as fast as possible.

His chest ached at the thought of this night being just another memory to be hidden away in the back of his mind, only to be visited when his longing for him and Changbin to be more than just friends would get the better of him again.

It was funny, how in mere seconds, feelings of love and content could take on such a bitter taste.

Being careful with his movements, Minho worked on extracting himself from Changbin’s hold, immediately missing the warmth of the other’s arms around him. The older shook his head, trying to rid himself of his ridiculous thoughts, before slowly crawling over his friend and praying that he wouldn’t lose his balance.

If the years of dance had taught him anything, though, it was how to move his body, making the task at hand an easy one. Changbin only deliriously grumbled a little as the mattress shifted beneath him, rolling onto his stomach the second Minho had fully stepped off the bed.

Usually, when early morning classes were calling, it was more of a hinderance than anything that Changbin was so hard to wake up, but in this moment, the older thanked every deity above for sparing him from what would have undoubtedly been a painfully awkward conversation.

He tip-toed his way out of the room, quietly closing the door behind himself before making his way into their bathroom. It was quite small, given how the apartment itself wasn’t particularly spacious either, but they made do. Soonie was currently lounging on a stack of towels neatly placed on the counter next to the sink, barely sparing him a glance as he walked inside and locked the door. His cats somehow always chose the oddest places to nap in.

Stepping in front of the mirror, he thanked the heaven’s once again for having been able to escape Changbin so easily, or else he would have surely taken notice of Minho’s flaming cheeks. It was a natural response, for his face and ears to turn a bright shade of red whenever he was flustered or embarrassed. Usually, he was pretty good at masking his emotions, but his body said _no_ when it came to anything related to his roommate. It’s not his fault that Changbin was so incredibly _charming_ all the damn time.

He made quick work of washing up, thoroughly brushing his teeth before undressing and jumping into the shower. Steam rose along the walls as Minho let himself enjoy the feeling of the warm water cascading down his skin, speeding along the process of waking up. He scrubbed himself down with his most favourite mint-scented shower gel, letting the fragrance spread through their little bathroom before rinsing off and stopping the water.

The dancer pulled aside the shower curtain, blindly reaching for a towel from the stack but ending up with a handful of cat instead. Soonie meowed in discontent, jumping up from her resting spot and down onto the floor. Minho sighed; he should have just shooed her away when he walked in.

Now being able to snatch a towel off the pile, the brunet started to dry off by wiping the cat hair sticking to his wet hand into the cloth, hesitating another second before patting down the rest of his body. A little cat hair surely wasn’t going to kill him.

He went about the rest of his routine with practiced ease, skin now glistening with nurturing products and lithe frame wrapped in his soft baby-blue bathrobe. The brunet spared one last glance into the mirror, when he noticed something odd about the part that had fogged up during his shower.

There, hand-drawn into the condensation clinging to its surface, a small smiley face stared back at him.

Mocking him.

Immediately, his mind was filled with memories of last night again.

With all the things Changbin had been telling about the ghost in their apartment.

Things he had only laughed at.

_Were they truly not the only ones living here?_

☽

“I told you so!”

The younger’s boisterous voice echoed through their apartment, completely unfitting for the early hours of the morning, where everything was still supposed to be slow and tranquil.

When you were living with one Seo Changbin, though, things were barely ever quiet.

They were currently lounging about in their kitchen, having a chat over their shared breakfast, just like they did most mornings. And yet, unlike most mornings, the topic of their discussion was decidedly unusual.

After the mildly disturbing discovery he had made in the bathroom, Minho had wasted no time, rushing out the door and into his own bedroom in record-speed. There, he had willed his wildly pounding heart to slow back down, taking a few deep breaths, and getting dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a big, cream coloured sweater.

He had found Changbin in the kitchen afterwards; he must have gotten up right after Minho had left the bathroom, getting in himself to wash up and get ready for the day. In the frenzy he had been in, the older hadn’t even registered the other’s moving presence inside the apartment.

Minho almost made the can filled with freshly brewed coffee slip from his friend’s grip as he immediately started to fill Changbin in on what he had witnessed the night prior.

The dancer had already figured that his friend wouldn’t let him off easily, given how many times Minho had made fun of the shorter for exactly the same reason in the past – which, ultimately, lead them to the present moment.

“See?! I told you I didn’t just imagine it!”, the man was gesturing wildly, half-empty coffee cup flying through the air. He could hear how the liquid was sloshing around inside, and it was giving Minho all sorts of unpleasant feelings. “But no! You had to go and be stubborn until it decided to come for your ass instead! For the longest time, I’ve been warning you about this, and you didn’t believe me until it happened to you, too! Serves you right if you ask me.”, Changbin finished, his voice a little breathless, and bit off another chunk from his protein bar.

Minho took a deep breath where he was resting against their counter, his arms crossed, releasing it again with an exasperated sigh. He rolled his eyes for good measure, too, before staring straight ahead at his friend, expression blank. “Are you done now?”

“Am I done now?!”, the younger spluttered, spitting out little droplets of melted chocolate in the process. Why exactly was Minho so smitten with this idiot, again?

“I’ve been telling you ever since we moved into this stupid apartment that we’re not alone in here! And all you ever did was make fun of me! But you didn’t see me crawling into your bed at night because I was scared of the big, bad monster.”, Changbin shot back. He wasn’t angry, the younger simply got heated easily.

Minho felt his ears grow hot at the mention of what he had done last night; seeking out Changbin’s comforting presence to soothe his own fears. Still, what else would he have been supposed to do? Go back to his own room and get eaten by some otherworldly shadow creature? _No, thank you._

The older voiced his thoughts to Changbin, at which the shorter only scoffed. “I’ve seen it plenty of times, too. And I’m still alive, am I not? I don’t think it’s out to collect souls, or whatever.”

“So, you don’t think it’s evil?”, Minho mused, perfect eyebrows furrowing on his forehead.

The other man only shrugged, finishing off his breakfast with one last, big bite. “Can’t say.”, he mumbled around his mouthful, “But nobody’s gotten hurt yet, and I count that as a win.”.

Considering everything that had happened thus far, the older guessed Changbin had a point. Minho chuckled bitterly, taking a sip from his own lukewarm coffee. Despite the younger’s reasoning, he didn’t manage to shake the doubt still weighing heavy on his mind.

“Yeah. What kind of sinister demon would watch me shower, and then draw a smiley face on our mirror, right?”

☽

The rest of the day had gone by fairly quickly, classes keeping Minho busy and distracted enough not to worry too much about their ghostly predicament. Still, he couldn’t quite keep down the anxiety of having to return home at the end of the day, coming back to whatever it was that inhabited their four walls. Changbin had experienced it for far longer than he has, but the younger didn’t seem nearly as terrified.

Maybe Minho really was overreacting.

He decided to let it go as best as you could, pushing the two ominous events he had witnessed to the far back of his mind, and instead wondering about which type of movie Changbin would pick for their weekly movie night.

It was one of the many rituals they had developed ever since they started living together, uncaring of the fact that they now spent pretty much every waking moment with each other. Changbin was good company, and probably his favourite one, at that. Minho blamed the fact that their personalities were just really compatible – in a completely friendly way only, of course.

The dancer didn’t dare indulge in any hopeful thoughts about what else that could mean for their relationship.

That’s how he eventually found himself settling down into the soft cushions of their small couch, placing his chosen snacks of the night on the coffee table in front of him for easy reach. He had also made sure to bury most of his body in one of their warm, woolly blankets, preparing for the worst as he heard what type of movie Changbin had chosen – _Horror._

Why in heaven’s graces the younger thought watching something related to demonly creatures of any kind, given the fact that their apartment was quite literally _haunted_ , was truly beyond Minho.

But, reflecting on his actions from their previous night, when he quite literally crawled into his friend’s bed (and consequently, also his strong arms), like a little child afraid of the monsters in its closet, he didn’t dare object to Changbin’s choice. He owed him that one.

Mentally steeling himself, Minho patiently waited for the other to join him on the couch, who was currently still busy dimming the lights. Changbin had once told him that he believed a fitting atmosphere to be a vital component of being able to truly enjoy a movie, and who was Minho to argue with that logic? He himself was the prime example of particularity, after all.

The brunet buried deeper into his cosy blanket when he felt the sofa dip beside him, the cushions giving under Changbin’s added weight. He watched attentively as the younger scrolled through their Netflix gallery, eventually stopping on a title that looked like Minho would genuinely enjoy it any other day.

In the present, though, considering the paranormal sightings inside their own four walls still prominent in his mind, he wasn’t quite so thrilled.

“Ready?”, his friend asked, a teasing lilt to his voice any other, less perceptive person might have missed. The older would have been offended, had he not actually been considering the question in his current state.

“As ready as I’ll be.”, Minho replied, hoping his voice didn’t carry the uncertainty he felt heavy at the bottom of his stomach out onto the surface.

The older wasn’t the only perceptive one between the two of them, though, as Changbin seemed to sense his hesitancy, offering the dancer a comforting smile. “Tell me if it gets too much. I’ll switch it off.”

The younger’s warm voice took on a more teasing tone shortly after, though, an attempt to fall back into their usual banter. “Or… I can just take into these big, strong arms again. Protect you from any bad, scary demons out to eat your soul.”

Minho was thankful for the low lighting, as he felt his ears turn hot at his friend’s words. Forcing his heartbeat to calm down, he still somehow managed to answer with a playful scoff, rolling his eyes for emphasis as he turned around fully to face their TV. “You wish, big guy. Bring it on.”

Minho had seen enough horror movies in his life to know their basic structure like the back of his hand, most of them following the same pattern of starting off slow and gradually picking up pace along the way. Therefore, he was definitely caught a little off guard when not even ten minutes into the movie, the first person already lay dead on the floor of a convenience store. All hopes of the movie at least having somewhat of a predictable plotline – and consequentially making it less scary – immediately went down the drain.

At least, Changbin had been considerate enough not to pick anything directly related to their current _paranormal predicament_ , seeing as most of the movie actually played outside – somewhere in the Scandinavian woods. A small comfort to Minho, as it was easy to forget about his own dire housing situation, and instead loose himself in the well-thought-out storyline the movie provided.

Things went smoothly for a while, the older completely enraptured by the film and its nightmarish storytelling – but it didn’t take long for their initial peace to be disturbed.

The whole ordeal started out with something decidedly insignificant; at seemingly random occasions, the light from their floor lamp, placed in the far-left corner of the room, started to flicker on and off. Minho only vaguely registered it, his senses focused solely on the suspenseful story playing out on their TV. Offhandedly, the dancer made a mental note to change the bulb in it sometime soon.

It was safe to say that things wouldn’t stay as tame for long, though.

Soon enough, Minho started to feel that something was off, anxiety rising inside him as even the LEDs around their TV started to malfunction. They had apparently developed a mind of their own, turning on and off repeatedly, as well changing colours seemingly at random. His eyes stung as the elder watched what now resembled the flickering lights inside a crowded disco. He didn’t like it one bit.

Changbin seemed equally as confused as him, reaching out towards the little remote conveniently placed on the coffee table. He pressed down on the little red button in the top right corner, an action which would usually serve to shut the thing off immediately. Today was anything but usual, though.

The frown on his friend’s face deepened, distorting his handsome features into a grimace of sorts. No matter how hard or how often hammered his thumb onto the small button, the lights still refused to shut off. The random flickers of colour were starting to make Minho feel disorientated.

“What the fuck?”, Changbin muttered under his breath, looking about as confused as Minho felt. This _must_ be a prank of some sort, right? _It_ can’t be happening again already.

“Changbin, this isn’t funny.”, Minho spoke up, an obvious tremble to his voice he didn’t even bother hiding.

“I’m not trying to be funny either, Minho! The remote isn’t working!”, the younger exclaimed, a wild look in his eyes as he was still punching his finger onto the correct button.

“Come on! You got me, okay?”, Minho couldn’t help but raise his voice, clearly distressed with the current situation. “Now _please_ stop with this bullshit! Do you really want me to come crawling back into your bed tonight?!”

“Minho, I promise you! This isn’t me playing a prank on you! It’s genuinely not-.”

Changbin was cut off abruptly, all lights in the room shutting off on their own, their TV suddenly turning black. The two men were now left in complete darkness, save for the small sliver of moonlight spilling through the gaps in their curtains.

All caution thrown to the wind, Minho couldn’t care less about embarrassing himself anymore, not when he knew exactly that another _haunting_ was about to take place.

The brunet inched closer to his friend’s solid form on the couch, seeking protection from whatever was currently in the room with them. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, his breathing quick and uneven, all caused by the suffocating feeling of distress the presence of evil brought with it. Minho’s small hands were trembling badly, the air around them suddenly freezing. He jumped a little when he felt Changbin’s own, bigger hand engulf his where it lay unmoving on the cushion between them, squeezing the warm flesh in order to remind him; he was there with him. _He was not alone._

Minho appreciated the sentiment, and yet, it didn’t make him any less petrified as he sat in complete darkness, his breath caught in his throat, and waiting for something – _anything_ – to happen.

The sudden drop in temperature sent a violent shiver down the dancer’s spine, making gooseflesh erupt on every inch of his skin. Something was most definitely off about this; no blackout had ever felt this sinister. Someone- No. _Something_ had orchestrated this.

Minho’s whole body jerked when all electronics suddenly jumped back to life, illuminating the room in low, warm lighting and the cool glow of their TV screen. He was hopeful; maybe it had really just been a blackout, after all? Then, why would he feel so anxious about it? Maybe he was still just paranoid about the other things he had witnessed, making him immediately assuming the worst.

It must have been that; he was convinced that Changbin wouldn’t ever mess with him like that, either. They waited a few seconds, the silence stretching on between them, and hands still clutched together tightly while they observed their surroundings,

Things seemed back to normal again.

Except, they were decidedly _not._

Before the feeling of relief had even had the chance to settle in his mind, he startled as all the lights in the room suddenly started flickering at once, the images on their TV glitching strangle, making him feel uneasy. It was also emitting some sort of static sound, vastly irritating his sensitive ears. Minho had never dealt well with loud noises.

The most unsettling thing yet, though, Minho saw when he looked over towards their cat tree, wanting to check on his babies despite the terror slowly taking over his senses. All three of them were seated on different places on the tree, their backs straight as they seemed to stare ahead at their owner with big eyes. Somehow, neither all the spasming lights, nor the strange noise had scared them into hiding yet. Given how easily startled they usually tended to be, the dancer found this exceptionally strange.

It was then that the brunet realized, his cats weren’t looking at _him_ , at all.

Their big eyes were trained on something _right behind him_ , dilated pupils not once straying from whatever it was they saw there.

That was all it took for Minho to throw himself into motion, using the hand still tightly clutched in his to pull himself towards Changbin. He practically lunged at his friend, the only coherent thought currently swirling in his mind being _‘He will protect me!’_.

The dancer was beyond terrified at this point, whatever was happening rendering him and anxious mess; Minho was honestly kind of concerned he would start to hyperventilate soon. He didn’t know how much more stress he could take.

Changbin was quick to wrap the dancer’s shaking frame into a tight embrace, pulling the man on top of him where he was still seated on the couch, and practically clinging onto his midsection. The shorter failed to hide the fact that he was clearly scared himself any longer, but never would he ever have to think twice about taking care of Minho; the instinct to protect his friend was basically hard-wired into his brain.

The shorter brought a hand upwards, reaching for the back of Minho’s head, and gently cradling it in his hold. Changbin used the new-found leverage to pull his friend’s head down to rest in the crook of his neck, silently offering it as place to hide in. The shift of positions now caused Changbin to feel the shaky, irregular breaths escaping Minho’s lips directly on the skin of his neck, together with the inhumane pounding of his friend’s heart where his chest was pressed flush against his own.

Although equally as terrified as his friend, Changbin tried not to let fear conquer him, instead trying to focus on Minho’s solid weight settled securely on his lap. He couldn’t lose his mind over this, not when the older clearly needed his support. With how unsteady the other’s breathing currently sounded, the shorter started to feel concerned; he might actually pass out if he didn’t calm down soon.

Changbin tried to block out whatever madness was currently happening around them to the best of his abilities; he tried to drone out the flickering lights hurting his eyes, tried not to hear the bone-chilling static their TV was spitting, tried to focus on Minho instead. On the warmth the elder’s body exuded, on the way his shaky breaths fanned out across the sensitive skin of Changbin’s neck, on how silky his hair felt beneath the younger’s fingertips.

From the outside it might look like Changbin was the one to comfort his friend, but he couldn’t deny the fact that Minho’s presence on top of him did wonders to soothe his own nerves, too.

He was carding one hand through the elder’s soft locks, the latter’s head still pressed snugly into the crook of his neck, while his other hand had found purchase on the dancer’s lithe back. There, he was stroking soothing circles into the fabric of his hoodie, the action more unconscious than anything. Minho’s own hands were curled into fists, latching onto the bottom of Changbin’s shirt with a death grip that was sure to distend the fabric.

The dancer was vaguely aware of the pathetic whimpers occasionally escaping his throat, Changbin rocking the pair back and forth in a soothing rhythm. Minho had no thought left in his frazzled mind to be aware of how his current position; perched on top of Changbin’s plush thighs, his own firm legs straddling the other in a way that was sure to embarrass him once he came to his senses later.

The dancer squeezed his eyes shut even tighter when, suddenly, only darkness surrounded the pair.

The contrast was quite startling; the spasming lights suddenly gone, causing colourful dots to dance behind his eyelids, and the incessant noise of static now making room for deafening silence. Minho didn’t know which he preferred.

It left them in tensed silence for a few seconds, his own ragged breaths and Changbin’s soft voice shushing him the only sounds to be heard.

Another violent shiver wracked Minho’s tensed form when he felt a cold, ghostly touch against the back of his neck; it felt like someone had placed their icy hand against him, patting his skin – _one, two, three_ times – before pulling back, leaving behind nothing but an unpleasant, tingling sensation.

A terrified sound tore itself free of Minho’s throat as he further reacted by pressing his face even harder into Changbin’s neck, fingernails clawing at his poor shirt like his life depended on it. Given how he had just felt the touch of something _otherworldly_ , that might as well be the case.

The ice-cold tingle lingered still, all hair on his body standing on end, anticipating what was to come next; hoping, _praying_ nobody would be harmed.

His prayers seemed to have been answered, as all the lights suddenly turned back on, making Changbin grunt as he was momentarily blinded. Minho could hear their TV jump back to life, continuing to play their movie exactly where they had left off. They waited; seconds, minutes, and everything stayed as it should.

There was no more flickering, no more static – it was over.

And yet, he was hesitant to let go of Changbin.

Minho’s elevated heartbeat was still resounding loudly in his ears, the noise almost enough to drown out the pleasant rumble of Changbin’s voice.

“What the fuck was that?”

He felt his friend shift beneath him, adjusting his position on the couch while the older still clung to him like a lifeline. Changbin was probably trying to get a better look around the room scan the area for any damage the chaos might have caused. The younger still had one of his hands planted square in the middle of Minho’s back, its soothing motions not halting even once. His other hand, his friend had moved downwards to grip onto his thigh instead, aiding him in moving the older along while he adjusted their positions. With the brunet hunched over him like that, he wouldn’t be able to scout out their living room otherwise.

It felt like Minho’s heartbeat was finally slowing down to an acceptable pace, his irregular breathing also evening out in the process. With his mind now mostly cleared from its fogged over state, the dancer suddenly became overly aware of the rather _compromising_ position him and Changbin found themselves in.

Minho’s cowering form was practically glued to the younger’s lap, the line of his body pressed tightly to Changbin’s own, and his dainty finger still clawing into the fabric of the other man’s shirt.

Heat rose to his cheeks at the realization, hindering his heartbeat from slowing back down to its usual speed.

“Minho, are you okay?”, Changbin inquired, attempting to turn his head a get a proper look at his friend. Given their current position, and the fact that the latter’s face was still mostly hidden in the crook of the younger’s neck, this proved to be quite difficult. “You can stop hiding now. It’s over… I think.”

It came as no surprise that, after everything that had taken place inside their own him, all withing the last 24 hours, Minho was an absolute mess of emotions.

There was the incessant feeling of fear still shaking him to his very core, rendering his limbs for the most part immobile. He didn’t want to move from the safety of Changbin’s embrace; didn’t know if he could, either. Said situation only served to add to his inner turmoil, as he was now additionally faced with the hopeless attraction he harboured for his friend.

The brunet was anxious about facing Changbin now, after he had practically jumped him in search of protection. And yet, the whole ordeal seemed to finally have finally found an end, Minho had yet to remove himself from the other man’s comforting embrace. His elevated heartbeat, he could blame on the adrenaline high of their paranormal encounter, even though it wasn’t quite the whole truth. What he would have trouble blaming on the haunting, though, was why his cheeks had suddenly turned the colour of cherry tomatoes.

As a bodily function, it was simply something Minho had little to no control over, especially with how Changbin’s thumb was _still_ drawing soothing circles into the meat of Minho’s inner thigh. Little did the other know, the action felt anything _but_ soothing to his friend.

“Minho, come on. Please look at me?”, Changbin urged, moving the hand previously gripping his friend’s thigh to the back of his head once more. They went to bury in his hair, nimble fingers gently carding through the elder’s soft locks, a silent request for Minho to finally lift his head.

With what little bit of willpower he could still muster after everything that had happened, Minho managed to somehow tear his face away from his friend’s neck. He sat upright where he was still perched on Changbin’s firm lap, the heat on his face intensifying tenfold as he now found himself looking down at the other’s handsome face.

The pair’s eyes met briefly, the shorter shooting Minho a hesitant but reassuring smile, while the latter only furrowed his perfectly shaped eyebrows in confusion. The older had no idea how to really feel, the onslaught of so many different emotions leaving him in a state difficult to put into words.

The moment felt just a little too intimate to experience between friends, the short distance separating their faces hinting at something other than only the innocent offer of support.

Minho’s whole body jerked when he felt Changbin’s hand wander from the back of his head to instead rest on the side of his face, cupping one flaming hot cheek in a cool palm.

“You okay?”, his friend all but whispered, afraid to break whatever spell had laid itself over them.

Minho spared him another glance, his heart stuttering in his chest once he saw the concern written all over his friend’s attractive features. Changbin was concerned; concerned for his well-being, concerned for _him._ But who exactly was he to Changbin? Surely no more than a friend… _right?_

_Snap out of it!_

[unedited]

Avoiding his gaze before his delusions could get the better of him, Minho took a deep inhale, steadying his voice as best as he could before answering the shorter.

“Y-yeah. Just- what the fuck was that?”, the older managed to stutter out, pulling a small chuckle from his friend in the process.

“I don’t even know, man. Almost pissed myself.”, Changbin laughed, obviously trying to lighten things up and get them back into familiar territory. Banter had always been easy between the two.

Despite the crude words, Minho’s heart did another leap in his chest as he thought about the sentiment behind them The younger was trying to cheer him up, to make him feel safe and content in his very own, unique way– just like a _good_ _friend_ would.

The older cursed himself internally.

The more time he spent sitting secure in Changbin’s lap like this, the stronger to urge to simply melt against the other’s strong, solid body became. He wanted so badly to just embrace the younger, wrap his arms around the other man’s broad shoulders and press a thankful kiss to the apple of his plush cheek. Minho hated how much the younger affected him, how inappropriately he thought about who was practically his best friend; it made him believe he didn’t deserve Changbin’s affection, if he was only going to use them to fuel his tainted thoughts about him.

Still avoiding eye-contact, the dancer snapped himself out of his conflicted thoughts, forcing another breathy chuckle past his lips before finally moving to get off the younger. He really had to step out of Changbin’s embrace before he made a decision they both would regret.

“Out of all the options we had, I can’t believe we chose a haunted apartment...”, Minho muttered breathily, sliding off his friend with a certain grace only a dancer could possess.

It shouldn’t have been as disheartening as it was, the way Changbin’s hands slipped off his body so easily. Why, after all the months spent pining after the other, Minho was still somehow hoping for him to mirror his own longing, the older couldn’t explain.

He settled back down on his side of the sofa, his blanket clutched tightly in his small, trembling hands while he worked on burying himself the soft fabric as far as he possibly could without obscuring his vision. The brunet didn’t dare glance back at Changbin, too afraid the lone sight of his friend might only intensify the aching feeling of yearning in his chest.

They collectively agreed not to dwell on what had happened, pushing the unsettling chain of events aside in favour of silently continuing their movie.

Neither one of them was fully prepared to start unpacking what exactly it would mean for their apartment to legitimately be _haunted_ , least of all by an entity of _sinister_ nature _._ They could talk about all this and its consequences tomorrow, when the sun had risen, and its bright rays would enable them to think rationally about it.

In the darkness of the night, there always seemed to be more to fear.

“Does that mean I’ll have to share my bad again tonight?”, Changbin still had the nerve left to tease.

Minho only scoffed, too caught up in his own thoughts to shoot back a witty reply. He had a lot to figure out after tonight; mainly how to deal with crushing on his roommate, and how to handle possibly being physically attacked by a demon.

As it turns out, Changbin didn’t have to share his bed, after all.

But it was safe to say that Minho didn’t shut his eyes once that night.

☽

Scaring humans was fun.

In the hundreds of years he had spent haunting different homes, it always had been, and it certainly always will be.

His point was proven once again, as he watched one human scramble onto the other, holding onto his broad frame for dear life; all because he had lightly messed with their electronics.

It was so _easy_ , to spook mortals, to render them immobile with fear.

To see terror slowly taking over their expression, as they watched on, watched something they simply couldn’t explain with their beloved human logic.

It was pathetic.

It was fun, but it got boring, too.

Sometimes, he even felt sorry.

After all, the humans simply _didn’t_ understand; how there could be something – _someone_ – they cannot see. He wasn’t evil, but they didn’t – _couldn’t –_ acknowledge his existence unless he made himself known.

He just needed something to entertain himself with. Only so much time could be spent having a staring contest with the furry little creatures one of the humans had brought with him.

That’s why, when he watched the aftermath of his mischief – watched the sudden tension between the two men in front of him, watched how one’s face turned beet-red at their new-found proximity, watched how the other’s hands trembled with restraint as he mindfully kept touching his friend – and idea came to him.

He had existed long enough (in both sides of the realm, mind you) to recognize romantic attraction when he saw it. And between these two, it practically came served on a silver platter.

What could possibly be more exciting than scaring mortals with his silly antics?

Making love blossom between them.

And that’s how it was decided.

He would help these two hopeless fools realize their feelings for each other, would use his ghostly abilities, and drive them towards each other until one of them snapped.

It would be perfect.

He was surely going to have his _fun_ ; Jeongin was convinced.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading & I hope you enjoyed!  
> come scream at me on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/zodiaclino) or send me something through my [cc](http://curiouscat.qa/zodiaclino), hehe.
> 
> please consider leaving kudos or a comment if you liked it - they motivate me a lot to keep writing!  
> I also have a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/zodiaclino) in case you'd like to support me even further & buy me a coffee. ♡


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